Qiddiya: entertainment capital

Located 45 kilometers east of Riyadh, Qiddiya is to become the entertainment, sports and arts capital of the world. The star attraction is already nearing completion: Six Flags Qiddiya will soon feature the longest, tallest and fastest roller coaster ever built.

Youth are also considered in Vision 2030, the collection of six mega-projects accounting for a combined cost of seven trillion ($7,000,000,000,000) dollars, some of which are so mega that they are written in capital letters. Qiddiya is to become the entertainment, sports and arts capital of the world, in a new city to be built 45 kilometers east of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Qiddiya is to house 500,000 people by 2030.

It promises to be a project that will overwhelm visitors with a multitude of activities—at once disruptive, captivating, innovative, unparalleled, and—after all, this is Saudi Arabia—on a scale never seen before. Qiddiya consists of ten components: Six Flags Qiddiya City, Aquarabia Qiddiya City, Speed Park Track, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, Gaming & Esports District, Mercedes-AMG World of Performance, Performance Arts Center Qiddiya City, Qiddiya City Golf Course, PlayMaker Studios, and Horse Racing Venue. The first phase of Qiddiya is expected to be completed in 2025 with the opening of Six Flags Qiddiya City. Aquarabia Qiddiya City is expected to open in Q2 of 2026. The total cost is estimated at $11 billion.

Record-breaking roller coaster and Middle East's most beautiful water park

One of the first attractions at Qiddiya will be Six Flags Qiddiya City, the largest Six Flags theme park in the world. Saudi youth are eagerly anticipating the gravity-defying Falcon’s Flight, a record-breaking roller coaster that will be the pride of the park. This beast of an attraction will not only be the tallest and longest, but also the fastest roller coaster ever built. Brace yourself for a 3.26-minute ride where you’ll reach speeds of over 250 kilometers per hour, with a vertical drop into a 195-meter-deep valley that will stay with you for a long time thanks to the magnetic motor acceleration.

Other attractions that will get your adrenaline pumping: Sirocco Tower, the world’s tallest freestanding shot tower ride; Gyrospin, the tallest pendulum ride; Spitfire, the tallest triple-launch roller coaster; and Iron Rattler, the tallest tilted coaster.

In the construction of the amusement park, the experienced employees of the French construction company Bouygues have a big finger in the pie. A finger of one billion dollars, to be exact. Bouygues previously helped construct numerous marble buildings and monuments in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat.

In the middle of the desert, there will also be a water park featuring 22 slides and 8 different themed zones inspired by the Kingdom’s rich and diverse wildlife. The water park also breaks many records: the world’s tallest water roller coaster, the world’s tallest water slide, and the very first underwater attraction with carts that go completely underwater. Dress code for men: a shirt and swim trunks or just swim trunks. Dress code for women: a swimsuit that covers the legs to just above the knees.

In addition, work is underway on, yes, yet another Formula One circuit, because why settle for just a race in Jeddah?

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium is another highlight of Qiddiya City, where construction is currently in full swing. The $1.1 billion stadium is scheduled to be completed in 2029. Once finished, it will seat 46,000 soccer fans and serve as a key venue for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

The stadium, designed by Populous, will feature state-of-the-art technology, including a retractable roof, a heated field, and an LED wall, allowing it to adapt to a variety of events. It will be climate-controlled to LEED Gold standards, ensuring year-round comfort for visitors. With 60 matches scheduled, it will serve as the home stadium for Saudi soccer giants Al Hilal and Al Nassr and is expected to welcome approximately 7.6 million visitors annually.

Is Qiddiya yet another prestige project?

Qiddiya will be connected to Riyadh and the international airport by a metro. By 2030, the newly built city should already be one of the biggest tourist destinations worldwide. Large-scale events such as the Asian Games, a kind of Olympics for Asian countries, should contribute to this.

Yet Qiddiya is more than just another prestige project for Saudi Arabia's glory. Here, the country seems genuinely interested in its young (70% of the population is under 40) and fast-growing population and responding to rapid social change. Because for young people and families, the choices for leisure and entertainment in Saudi Arabia are rather limited - unless you happen to live on the coast. With the arrival of this entertainment capital, format Disney World on steroids, that problem has been solved in one fell swoop. At least if you live in Riyadh. A more cynical interpretation might be that all those young, affluent families now no longer have to spend their money on vacations and attractions abroad but can do so just fine in Qiddiya ...